The supportive role of non-governmental organisations in sustainable emergency management: the case of Poland

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in sustainable emergency management have many roles, depending on the stage of crisis development. In many emergency situations, NGOs appear first, and in some cases even before host governments. That is why it is so important to discuss the role of NGOs in the process of sustainable emergency management and to assess the joint activities performed in the emergency management network. For this purpose, research was conducted among organisations of the emergency management network. The majority of respondents believe that cooperation with NGOs and volunteers is necessary. Moreover more than half of the respondents positively assessed the level of organisational effectiveness of joint activities with the participation of NGOs and volunteers. There are issues that need to be improved such as proper coordination, mutual trust between the entities of the emergency management network, and adequate leadership.